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This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) and eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application. Learn more To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 09/30/2022. Basic Requirements: 1. U.S. citizenship. 2. Education. Master's degree in social work (MSW) from a school of social work fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). Graduates of schools of social work that are in candidacy status do not meet this requirement until the school of social work is fully accredited. A doctoral degree in social work may not be substituted for the master's degree in social work. 3. Licensure. For the GS-12 level, you must be licensed or certified by a state at the Advanced Practice Level which included ASWB advanced generalist or clinical examination, unless you are grandfathered by the state in which you are licensed to practice at the advanced practice level (except for licenses issued in California, which administers its own clinical examination for advanced practice.) Grade Determinations: GS-12 Senior Social Worker. In addition to the basic requirements for employment, Senior Social Workers must have at least two years of experience post advanced practice clinical licensure and should be in a specialized area of social work practice of which, one year must be equivalent to the GS-11 grade level. Senior social workers have experience that demonstrates possession of advanced practice skills and judgment. Senior social workers may have certification or other post-masters training from a nationally recognized professional organization or university that includes a defined curriculum/course of study and internship or equivalent supervised professional experience in a specialty. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the professional KSAs below: 1. Skill in a range of specialized interventions and treatment modalities used in specialty treatment programs or with special patient populations. This includes individual, group, and/or family counseling or psychotherapy and advanced level psychosocial and/or case management. 2. Ability to incorporate complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice. 3. Knowledge in developing and implementing methods for measuring effectiveness of social work practice and services in the specialty area, utilizing outcome evaluations to improve treatment services and to design system changes. 4.Ability to provide specialized consultation to colleagues and students on the psychosocial treatment of patients in the service delivery area, as well as role modeling effective social work practice skills. 5.Ability to expand clinical knowledge in the social work profession, and to write policies, procedures, and/or practice guidelines pertaining to the service delivery area. May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria). References: VA Handbook 5005 VA Qualification Standard, Social Worker, GS-0185 Series, http://vaww.va.gov/OHRM/Directives-Handbooks/Documents/5005.pdf The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. Physical Requirements: The physical demands of this position involve primarily walking, sitting, talking, driving, use of the telephone, etc. Strenuous physical activity is not required although the incumbent is expected to withstand pressure and stress as part of their day-to-day activities. There is ongoing exposure to individuals having psychiatric and physical illness and disabilities. These include violent or aggressive behavior and chronic psychiatric and medical problems. Light lifting, under 15 pounds, Light carrying, under 15 pounds, Hearing (aid permitted). ["Services are provided at one of nine Outpatient Mental Health Clinics providing an array of both general and comprehensive services to address a broad spectrum of problems and complex mental health diagnoses encountered in a typical outpatient setting. The Senior Social Worker independently provides psychosocial assessments and clinical case management services at an advanced practice level to eligible Veterans and their family members to meet biological, psychological, social, and environmental needs. Their health care and psychosocial problems and needs are complex and require a high degree of clinical oversight and creative problem solving. The incumbent is required to interact not only with the patient but also family, significant others, community agencies, and other interdisciplinary staff.\nIncumbent performs specialized treatment of complex physical or mental illness. Incumbent incorporates complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment of Veterans, including making psychosocial and psychiatric diagnoses within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice.\nOther services include, but are not limited to, crisis intervention which may entail coordinating inpatient psychiatric admissions, coordinating welfare checks with local law enforcement departments and mandated reporting to community agencies as needed\nThe incumbent may be trained to support and/or provide direct clinical services using other technologies, such as, Telemental health. Services are timely, comprehensive, and effectively coordinated with services provided by other health professionals.\nTo provide overall comprehensive, integrated treatment, the incumbent is an integral member of both the core mental health team, as well as, co-located integrated primary care team (iPACT) and has major responsibilities in the areas of providing social work and general mental health services to Veterans and their families. The Integrated Patient Aligned Care Team (iPACT) is a comprehensive integrated team which delivers primary care and mental health care to Veteran patients in a longitudinal rather than episodic fashion and which has its focus in prevention; health promotion, coordination and chronic disease management. The social worker in this Veteran-centric approach may provide targeted, time limited PCMHI services and may function as a care coordinator (or liaison) to ensure access and provision of appropriate stepped-care to needed medical and mental health services, as defined by the Veteran.\nThe incumbent has administrative responsibilities and performs direct clinical work demonstrating knowledge and skill in assessment, planning and implementation of interventions for the broad spectrum of problems encountered in a typical general outpatient setting.\nIncumbent provides individual, group, and family psychotherapy and advanced level case management interventions used in the treatment of Veterans with polytrauma injuries, spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, visual impairment, PTSD, substance use and addictions and other serious disorders.\nThe Senior Social Worker is assigned administrative responsibility for clinical program development and is accountable for clinical program effectiveness and modification of service patterns. The incumbent is assigned to an outlying CBOC where there is no access or limited access to social work supervision. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday; 8:00am - 4:30pm\nTelework: Available\nVirtual: This is not a virtual position.\nPosition Title/Functional Statement #:Social Worker Mental Health/PD000000\nRelocation/Recruitment Incentives: May be authorized for a highly qualified candidate\nEDRP Authorized: Contact V21CCOEEDRP@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance\nFinancial Disclosure Report: Not required"]